Christiaan James and Dr. James A. Toronto, Asian and Near Eastern Languages
The Middle East may rightly be considered the final frontier of Church expansion. Though branches dot the region, they remain small. The Cairo, Egypt branch is an exception. It has been established for over 25 years and is vibrant due to its varied membership. The branch is divided into two markedly different groups: American expatriates and Sudanese refugees. I spent four months in Cairo researching the interplay between these two in order to learn what effect the Sudanese have on the branch, and to determine how best the Church can respond to their needs in order to strengthen them and help them contribute more fully to the life of the Church. Currently, there are four families from the Sudan in the branch. These members are young, primarily in their 30s and have two to three children each. Several of the men came to Cairo as students before the conflict in their country erupted, while the rest are considered refugees by the United Nations.
Prior to my research, very little was know about their conversion stories. All of them met the Church while living in Cairo, and always through another Sudanese. The majority of them met members while waiting in the United Nations High Commission on Refugees office in Cairo, and were subsequently invited to church. Each Sudanese who was invited came the next week and brought their spouse and children to church. As time progressed this current group of Sudanese were baptized and are actively serving in the church.
The Church plays a vital role in helping the Sudanese temporally. In order to give them a boost in learning English, the church provides tuition for language courses at the American University in Cairo. It also helps pay rent, buy clothes and supply food. The branch president’s wife held a weekly skills training class in her home where she taught the women how to sew, cook, baby-sit, and clean. The acquisition of these skills enabled some of the women to get jobs as cleaning ladies.
The Sudanese members are all aware of their unique status, not only in Egypt as refugees, but in the Church as poor, black converts in a predominately affluent and white branch. This however does not deter them and they seek actively to contribute in all aspects of branch life. They unanimously said they love the branch and its members. From my own observations there is no racial inequality and the American members are eager and willing to reach out and make them feel welcome on Fridays. As I interviewed the Sudanese they each expressed gratitude for the kindness of the members and a love for them.
Sudanese culture is social and they love to visit friends. Throughout my discussions with the Sudanese all expressed a wish for more activities and extra-church interaction with the members. In years past, there were more branch parties and get-togethers. These activities included BBQs, game nights, and even Sudanese cultural nights. They enjoyed participating in these and feel there has been a loss in the branch ever since they ended. The coordinator for these activities was a missionary senior couple who worked extensively with the Sudanese. Since their departure, the Sudanese feel left out. One African said there is pressure from the non-member Sudanese community to attend their churches’ activities. He says he does not want to, he only wishes the LDS church would offer more so that he could attend with his family and not resort to another church for social fulfillment.
Though the members are friendly on Fridays, there is no interaction between the Americans and the Sudanese the rest of the week. Home teaching does occur, but instead of visiting their apartments, the Americans will chat with them after church in an empty classroom. I spoke with several Americans about this phenomenon and each said they would feel uncomfortable visiting their apartments. All of the Sudanese live in less affluent areas of Cairo and sometimes are difficult to find. The American members also said they feel uncomfortable inviting the Sudanese into their homes because the obvious class difference could cause embarrassment. When I discussed this issue with the African members themselves, they again expressed their desire for more interaction, more visits from members, and more inclusion in branch life.
Equally on the minds of the Africans is missionary work. Because of their strong testimonies and own recent conversion, they want to extend the gospel to their friends. This has led to frustration on their part. Talking with Francis Wani, “spokesman” for the Sudanese members, he said that there are many refugees in Cairo from his country who are ready to accept the gospel message. Francis has led Bible and Book of Mormon studies with his non-member friends and sees real potential in their acceptance of the Church. However, the Church’s presence in Egypt is tenuous and the branch presidency does not want a mass influx of needy members, a fact which could strain the resources of the church. Therefore, it is necessary an interested Sudanese come to church regularly for a year before he may take the missionary discussions. Though this disheartens the African members, they understand the policy and continue to discuss the gospel whenever they have a chance with their friends.
The church is strong and growing in Cairo. Its diversity contributes to its strength as members learn to interact and worship with one another regardless of socio-economic situation. In order for the church to expand and one day accommodate all Sudanese desirous to join, it must be sensitive to their culture and adapt to it where it can. The Sudanese have an innate love for the members of the Church, but want to feel fully accepted and integrated. By having more bridgebuilding activities, the Sudanese will feel more connected. Almost all speak sufficient English to communicate and hope that they can participate in all aspects of church life, social and spiritual.